In the gospel of today’s Mass (John 13:21-38), a “preview” of our upcoming Holy Thursday celebration, Jesus and his disciples have come together to celebrate the Passover meal. Before supper, Jesus speaks of upcoming betrayals – that of Judas, who was to hand Jesus over, and that of Peter, who was to deny Jesus three times. Sandwiched between these two predictions of betrayal, Jesus indicates that God’s glorification is imminent. Even amidst the bitter disappointment of betrayal, even knowing the ordeal that lies ahead, Jesus remains focused on his work – the glorification of his Father and the salvation of all people.
And in many regards this talk of glorification and salvation amidst betrayal makes perfect sense since one of the ways that God’s glory is revealed, and the only way that salvation is achieved, is through the mercy and forgiveness that God bestows upon all those who “betray” him. God’s glory is revealed in the mercy and forgiveness extended to Peter. God’s glory is revealed in the mercy and forgiveness extended to Judas. God’s glory is revealed when he forgives all of us, time and time again. And this forgiveness opens the door to our salvation.
Indeed, even though both disciples would betray Him, Jesus was open to forgive both of them. Even when confronted by Judas later that night in Gethsemane, Jesus called him “friend”. After Peter’s betrayal, Jesus gave Peter the opportunity to profess his love for Jesus, and empowered Peter to pull himself up to lead the newly established Christian church.
Of course it’s important to acknowledge one of the key differences between Judas and Peter. Peter knew that forgiveness and salvation were possible because he understood the true nature of Jesus and Jesus’ message – that God is loving and merciful, and that God can rescue us when we are mired in the guilt and shame that comes with sin. Confronted by his own weakness and sin Peter was still able to hold onto hope. Judas, on the other hand, just never got the message. Judas could not grasp who Jesus really was and the redemption that God offers in Jesus. Without a clear view of his Savior, Judas loses all hope which led to his demise.
This reminds us that no matter what our offense, we can always turn back to Jesus with humble and contrite hearts. We can be confident in the salvation that Jesus offers us – that Jesus will forgive us, give us every opportunity to profess our love for him, and empower us to pull ourselves up. And just as important, we are also reminded that it is our obligation to extend forgiveness to those who hurt or betray us and to give them an opportunity to make amends. And by doing this, we too help reveal God’s glory and his redemptive power.
So during this Holy Week we continue to ponder God’s great love and faithfulness. We go forward with hope and confidence in God’s promise that we can always turn back to him in those instances where we fall off the path that God has set out for us. We stand in awe of God’s unlimited mercy and unconditional forgiveness and thank him for saving us.